Duncan Phillips's dedication to Marjorie in his 1931 book, The Artist Sees Differently. Photo: Sarah Osborne Bender

When librarian Karen Schneider gives tours of the museum, she often starts with the story of Duncan and Marjorie. They met at the Century Club in New York City in January 1921 where Marjorie Acker had gone to see selections from Duncan’s art collection on display, and, as Karen puts it, they began a conversation that never ended. They married on October 8 of that year, in Ossining, New York and returned to Washington to prepare the Phillips Memorial Gallery for opening. As we celebrate our museum’s 90th birthday, we also celebrate the beginning of a long and loving partnership begun 90 years ago today.